In the past five years, much has been written about the tech talent shortage. As recently as this past September, Fortune reported that 65% of technology leaders believe that hiring challenges are hurting the industry. Yet in an article for The Huffington Post, Michael S Solomon, Co-Founder of 10x Management, writes, “let’s not talk anymore about the ‘tech talent shortage.’ Is it hard to find world-class talent? Yes. Is it impossible if you are willing to pay for it? No.”

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Yet in a way, these two sides of the argument are saying the same thing. Solomon argues that you can hire whoever you need; it will just cost you. Fortune points out that there are hiring challenges, perhaps including the high cost of talent, that are problematic for many companies. Yet there is one more element to the hiring equation that neither article touches on: hiring elite technical talent is incredibly difficult. Having the funds to afford a high-level developer is just the first hurdle; the rest of the process relies on one question: how do you identify technical talent?

The process of finding talent in software development isn’t easy because it requires as many intangible skills as tangible ones. Hyam Singer, VP of User Engagement at Toptal, describes the technical hiring process best when he writes, “hiring software development talent—real talent—is a multi-faceted skill that lies at the crossroads of social networking, technical acumen, process management, and intuition.”

However, don’t misunderstand the title of this article: screening for technical minutia is an important part of any hiring process in software development. Any technical professional must be able to accomplish the technical work you need to be done. However, focusing on technical proficiency alone won’t lead you to hiring the best candidate and indeed you may well discourage the elite talent you want to hire.

Do you think a senior developer wants to jump through a series of hoops to prove their talent to a potential employer? Keep in mind that roughly 80% of job candidates already have a job. They are interested in new offers, but nor are they actively pursuing them. In this sense, you need to offer something of value to them, and one of the first steps of doing so is respecting them during the interview process and not solely testing their skill. The best companies recognize and respect their employees, so it is in your best interest to show that same recognition and respect for the professionals you are interviewing.

So what does showing recognition and respect mean during an interview process? For starters, don’t waste your time asking basic technical questions. If a candidate is truly an elite talent, then ask them challenging ones. What problem do you need your hire to solve? What will they be working on? Ask them how they would approach the work they will actually be doing and see what they say. You could even take it a step farther and ask them what they think they can do for you. If they are actually talented, that will shine through in their answers.

Elite technical talent knows the drill when it comes to hiring, so you need to be prepared during the interview process. Not only do you need to be able to get the information you need, but you need to be prepared to tell the candidate about what you offer them. Elite talent is in high demand, and if they aren’t employed already, they can find work relatively quickly. It’s up to you then to articulate why this opportunity benefits the candidate. Will they be working with a cutting-edge technology? Is there room for growth in this position? How prestigious is the company, and what perks do they offer?

Hiring the best talent is as much a process of courtship as one of screening, so make sure that your offer is mutually beneficial to both you and the new hire. If you want to hire the best, then you need to convince them that your job is also the best. The key to recruiting amazing talent is to provide them amazing opportunities and conveying those opportunities from the beginning. No senior engineer wants to work a job fit for a first-year candidate, and nor should you hire a much more expensive professional for a job that doesn’t need it. To attract elite technical talent, you need elite opportunities and show how employees can grow in this job opening. Remember, when it comes to senior job openings, successful hiring is a matter of mutual attraction, not great filtering.